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Pope Accepts Resignation of 'Bishop of Bling'

Bishop Tebartz-van Elst Spent Around $42.7 Million Redoing His Official Residence

By

Harriet Torry and

Liam Moloney

March 26, 2014 2:06 p.m. ET

BERLIN—Pope Francis accepted the resignation of a senior German cleric dubbed the "Bishop of Bling" for spending $42.7 million on redoing his official residence in a lavish display of wealth for a Roman Catholic church that is preaching humility under a new leader.

A 108-page report on the renovation of Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst's palatial headquarters in Limburg, Germany, confirmed Wednesday that the costs of the...